The invention relates generally to flooring underlayments, and more specifically, to epoxy based flooring underlayments.
In general, underlayments may be applied underneath a flooring material, such as ceramic tile, terrazzo, vinyl, or polymeric decking materials to contour the flooring surface. For example, underlayments may be used to smooth surfaces and/or to slope a surface toward a drain. Underlayments may be particularly useful in the construction of ocean-going and/or sea-going vessels, such as cargo vessels and the like, where typically the primary decking surfaces are made of steel plates welded together. Although the steel plates are often welded together to form a generally even surface area, the metal decking may be warped or may have other surface irregularities such as raised weld seams. Underlayments may be applied to the decking surfaces to reduce variations in deck height.
To accommodate various amounts of surface irregularities, underlayments that can be applied in thicker layers may be desired. However, the underlayment thickness may be limited by factors such as drying or curing time, compressive strength, flexibility, weight, and compliance with government and/or customer regulations. For example, underlayment and deck smoothing materials used on commercial maritime vessels may need to be approved under requirements of the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) administered by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). In another example, military maritime vessels may be required to meet Military Specification MIL-PRF-3135 for deck covering underlay materials. Among others, the requirements may include smoke and toxicity standards, flammability standards, and weight limits. Moreover, self-leveling underlayments may be desired to facilitate application. Further, for wet spaces, rather than cemetitious based underlayments, epoxy based underlayments may be preferred for their increased moisture resistance. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide lightweight, epoxy-based underlayments with relatively low toxicity and flammability properties.